Environmental Health

Master Woodland Manager volunteers improve Lane County forest health

Forests cover more than 90% of Lane County’s 2.9 million acres. Over 3,600 families manage small woodlands, supporting local jobs, ecological health, recreation and community resilience. These family forestland owners are part of a...

Apr 2025 | Impact Story

Northern Blues Restoration Partnership field tour enhances understanding of prescribed fire

Fire is broadly considered an important functional process in forests, rangelands and most other ecosystems. The reduction of periodic fire due to extensive fire suppression practices has been one of the major drivers of ecosystem...

Apr 2025 | Impact Story

Podcast enables listeners to learn about forests on their own time

Forest landowners and natural resource professionals often face challenges that require specialized knowledge. Traditionally, Oregon State University Extension Service’s Forestry and Natural Resources Program has addressed these needs ...

Apr 2025 | Impact Story

Extension central to strategic action to combat invasive annual grasses in Wallowa County

Invasive annual grasses were first reported in Wallowa County over 50 years ago, initially as isolated and inconspicuous plants. Today, they are widespread from the high Zumwalt Prairie to the Snake River canyons. This spread ...

Apr 2025 | Impact Story

Oregon students learn about importance of forestry in after-school program

One of the significant and ongoing challenges affecting STEM education in the United States is the changing student demographic, with increasing numbers of multilingual learners studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) ...

Apr 2025 | Impact Story

Outdoor School nurtures curiosity, connection and environmental understanding

For more than 60 years, Outdoor School has provided Oregon students with a unique opportunity to learn about science and the natural world through direct experience. What began in 1957 in Southern Oregon quickly expanded, with ...

Mar 2025 | Impact Story

Workshops boosts weed control efforts in Eastern Oregon

Invasive and noxious weeds are a major cause of land degradation in Eastern Oregon, affecting more than 500,000 acres of rangeland and pasture, along with miles of waterways. In Baker County, land managers often struggle to ...

Mar 2025 | Impact Story

Tree School Online expands access to forest education for Oregon’s landowners

Oregon’s more than 79,000 family forest landowners manage 3.6 million acres of private forestland, contributing significant economic, ecological and social value. These landowners have diverse goals and face complex challenges in ...

Mar 2025 | Impact Story

Clinics help manage wild horse populations on Warm Springs tribal lands

An overpopulation of wild horses on the tribal lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs has caused serious damage to the native ecosystem. Overgrazing by the horses contributes to the spread of invasive annual weeds ...

Mar 2025 | Impact Story

OSU Extension works with partners to fight emerald ash borer

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle that infests and kills ash trees. It was first detected in Oregon on June 30, 2022, in Forest Grove, marking its arrival on the West Coast. EAB poses a significant threat...

Feb 2025 | Impact Story